Musical instrument



Mmh 22,1%:1 W. ESARTHOLOMAE I MUS ICAL INSTRUMENT Filed Feb. l0, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet l WITNESSES ATTORNEYS March 22 1927 w. BARTHOLOMAE MUS I CAL INSTRUMENT Filed Feb. lO, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Mar. 22, 1927.

UNITED STATES WILLIAM BARTHOLOMAE, OF BROOKLYN NEW' YORK.

MUSICAL INSTRUMEN T.

Application filed February 10, 1926.

Thisr invention relates to musical instruments andI has for an object to `provide an improved construction which may beused in asimple` form as a toy or a more elaborate form as a conventional musical instrument utilizing asingle string to produce the different notes.

Another object ot' the invention is to provide a musical instrument wherein asingle string is `used and yet by a proper manipulation, diierent tones secured in any VdesiredA order so as to play Asubstantially any desired musical composition.

"A fur-ther object ot the invention is to provide a musical instrument wherein a single stringA is used to produce the sound and means associated with the string for varying. the tension thereof and in that manner changing the tuning thereof.

In the accompanying drawings- Figure 1 is a longitudinal vertical sectionalview through a musical instrument, 'disclosing anvembodiment of the invention.

Figure 2is aperspective view of the musical instrument shown in Figure. 1.

Figure Bis aside view of a modified form of instrument to that shownin Figure 1.

= Figure 4f is a topplan view of the musical instrumentshovvn in Figure 3.

Figure is a perspective view of a musical instrument disclosing a modified form of the invention to that shown in' Figure, the same/.being on a reduced scale.

Referring tothe accompanying drawings by numerals, 1 `indicates a body, which if desired, maybe a single board but is preterably formed asa box structure open'at thetop; as. illustrated in Figure 2, said box structure beingl provided With a bottom 2, sides 3 and 4 and ends Sand 6. Arranged in the body 1 is a bridge 7 which is hingedly connected to the body vby suitable hinge members 8 and is supported Whenin its lowered position by:a suitable pad 9. The bridge 7 is preferably made from Wood though ity couldi be .made from some ot-her material and it is provided with a metallic bearing member 10 on which the string 11 rests When the bridge is in use. The string 11 at the rear of the instrument passes over a metal support 12 and is secured to the end 6 in any suitable manner, as for instance, by the screw 13. From the support 12, the string extends to the front of the body 1 and over the metal support 14 to the adjusting or tensioning device 15. When Serial No. 87.361.

the device 15 is rotated, the-string is either released or tightened and in that way the same is properly tuned. Associated with the body 1 is a card 16 having the music Written thereon, said music being arranged on the line 17. The notes are indicated in the usual manner by'dots or circles and are arranged opposite the various lines or graduations .18 which indicatel the various notesof the scale. Vlien the car'd'18 is in use, litis not necessary for the player to be able to read music but merely to cause .the cross .bar 19 to follow the line 16 from the starting point 20 and to cause the string 11 to vibrate each time the bar 19 reaches oneiof .the notes 21. The strings 11 are preferably ,picked somewhere between bridge 7 and card 16. The bar 19 is preferably a stiff Wire member having uprights'22 and'23, said uprights' having turned over `sections-hingedly mounted in the knuckles '2stV of the' member lVlienever desired, the. arms 22 and 23 may be pulled apart so astofdisconnect thearms and bar 19 from thefmember 25. 'The member 25 is secured to the sounding'box26, which sounding box is hinged at 27 to body 1.

The sounding box is preferably .made .of Wood but may be of any desired material and'ot any desiredvshape. Preferably, an opening 28 is provided in the under part, of the box so as to permit a proper vibration. A tension or tuning bridge 29. is .secured .to box' 26 and. is. provided with a. metal contact'orsupport' Oadapted to engage the string 11. A spring 31 is connected in any suitable manner at one end' to the body 1 and at the other to box 26 whereby the box 26 and associated parts are normally held inthe position shown in Figure 2. A thumb engaging stop or member 32 is connected With the sound box 2G so that when the thumb is placed'under this member, the remaining part of the handis plaeedvon top ot the. box 26 and sai'dbox may. be raised and lowered as .the bar 19 is caused. to. tollotv the line 17.

In playing the device, when the parts are substantially in the position shown in Figure 2, member 15 is turned until the string 11 has been properly tuned so that it Will give a. sound indicated by the irst note at point 20. After the device has been tuned, the string 11 may be operated by the fingers, by a pick or even by a small hammer. It is caused to be vibrated when the parts are in the position shown in Figure 2 and then box 26 is pressed 'downwardly until bar 19 rests on the first note after leaving the starting point 20. The string 11 is again vibrated to produce the desired sound, which is one note higher than the starting note. At the proper time, box 26 is pressed down further whereupon the bar 19 will move to the second note from the starting point 2O and then string 11 is again vibrated to produce the desired sound. rIhis action is continued throughout the piece of music. It will be noted that when the box 26 is pressed downwardly, the bar 19 will move to the right as shown in Figure 2 and when released, said bar will move back toward the starting point.

In playing a piece of music, it will not be necessary to be familiar with the music as the bar 19 may be mechanically moved as above described and the string 11 properly vibra'ted by a pick or otherwise. lIhe only thing that is necessary is to move the parts in the proper time so that the music will sound properly.

In Figures 3 and 4, another form of the invention is shown wherein an adjustable rest 33 is mounted on the side of the body 1 and wherein a pointer or guide, 34 is connected to the box 26, said pointer co-acting with a fixed scale 35 and sheet of music 35 secured to the body 1 in any desired manner. Aside from these features, the construction is identical to that shown in Figure 2 so that an additional description need not be given. It may be stated, however, that instead of placing the hand on box 26, the same may be placed to be supported by the rest 33 with 'the fingers engaging a projection 36 extending from the box 26. In both forms of the invention, it will be noted that the tone is changed by varying the tension on the string 11 and, consequently, the various notes may be properly and correctly produced as the sound box 26 is raised and lowered.

In Figure 5, a modified form of the invention is shown to that illustrated in Figure This modiiication consists principally in having the box 26 carry the string 11. wWhen this is done, there is preferably provided a neck 37 secured in any desired manner to box 26 on said neck carrying the tuning or tensioning screw 15. Vhen this form of the invention is used, a bridge 29 is provided on the box 26 and a second bridge 29 is secured to the arm 88, which arm is normally supportedby the spring 31' in a similar manner vto the way box 26 is supported in Figure 2. The pointer 34C is used in this form of the invention and co-acts with the scale 35 and sheet 35. In this form of the invention, as well as in the preferred form, the device may be played either with or without written music as all forms of the device lend themselves readily to play by ear. l/Vliere a trembling effect is desired, as for instance, the effect produced by a Hawaiian guitar, box 26 may be oscillated up and down quickly when the bar 19 is adjacent each note. This will produce the desired effect and at 'the same time the tune may be properly maintained.

What I claim is:

1. A musical instrument comprising a body, a tensioned vibratile member carried bv the body acting to produce a sound when vibrated, a sound box hingedly connected with the body, a bridge connected with said sound box and normally resting on said vibratile member, and means for holding a card having music written thereon, and a guide and indicating member carried by the sound box and positioned to travel over said music as the sound box is swung back and forth.

2. A musical instrument comprising a body, a vibratile string carried by said body and adapted to be manually moved so that it will vibrate and produce a sound, a sound box hingedly connected with the body, said sound box extending over part of the vibratile member, and a bridge carried by the sound box and continually resting on 'the vibratile member whereby when the sound box is forced toward the body the tension on said vibratile member will be increased and the pitch raised. v

3. A musical instrument comprising a body, a vibratile string carried by the body adapted to be manually actuated so as to produce a sound when vibrated, a hingedly mounted sound box, a bridge carried by the sound box resting normally on said string, a pointer carried by said sound box, means presenting a. series oi:| graduations indicating diiierent keys in the chromatic scale, and means for supporting the hand of the operator when said pointer and said sound box are swung on their pivotal support.

WILLIAM BARTHOLOMAE. 

